As a mother of five, I prioritize my children’s education above all. To ensure a sustainable income, I’ve decided to invest part of my transfer in livestock, specifically goats, which are easy to breed. Thanks to support from GiveDirectly, I can now purchase these goats. My plan is to gradually expand my livestock holdings to include cows as well. This strategy will provide a stable income and enhance my ability to support my children’s education in the long run. Additionally, I aim to expand our one-room house into a two-room home. My children need their own space as they grow into adulthood. To achieve this, I’ve been saving part of my transfer in our merry-go-round group. When it’s my turn to withdraw, I’ll use those savings to buy iron sheets, making my dream a reality in the coming year.

My spouse works as a casual laborer, doing jobs like land cultivation to make a living. Additionally, I burn and sell charcoal to support our family. The support from Give Directly has significantly relieved us from financial burden. Our family relies on low-paying activities, and before Give Directly came to our village, there were times when my children would go to bed hungry due to lack of food. This has changed since we started receiving these transfers. With my recent transfer, I spent $30 to buy food for our family consumption, as we were running low on food. I also purchased seven iron sheets at 68% off because I am planning to build a new house. With the remaining $400, I bought chicken feeds for my chickens, as their supplies were running low.

As a mother of five children, I ensure their education remains my utmost priority. Recognizing the need for a sustainable income, I've decided to invest in livestock, focusing on goats for their ease of multiplication. At present, I have eight goats, with two expecting babies, alongside two sheep. Previously, when my children were sent out of school, I would sell chickens to cover their expenses. However, this strategy limited my long-term plans, as I intended to transition to goat farming. Thankfully, with the support from GiveDirectly, I can now directly invest in goats. My aim is to gradually expand my livestock holdings, eventually including cows, as they multiply. This approach not only ensures a stable income but also strengthens my ability to support my children's education in the long run.

I recently finished building my home, thanks to GiveDirectly. I now have one house made of metal sheets with three rooms. Initially, I bought five metal sheets but needed six, so I used $9 to purchase an extra one to complete my project. Additionally, I bought building sticks and metal nails for $39. I allocated $20 to pay the person who helped construct my home.This really made me feel happy and proud of myself. As a mother of five children, I recently welcomed a new addition to the family. I spent $10 on purchasing new clothes for my baby. Furthermore, I used $10 to cover school fees for my other children and $4 on purchasing food for them. To secure my family's future, I joined a savings group where I contribute $10 monthly for our collective betterment.

With the GiveDirectly cash transfers I'm receiving, I aim to complete the repairs of our house, ensuring better shelter for my family. I will also prioritize the well-being of my livestock, whose numbers have increased as they remain my main source of income. Additionally, I'm determined to keep my children in school without any worries about lacking school fees, thereby securing a brighter future for them. I'm truly grateful for the support.

After a devastating fire that wiped out my livestock, which was my main source of income, I felt like I had hit rock bottom. But with the $74 from GiveDirectly, I was able to invest in replenishing my livestock, rebuilding what I had lost, and being able to provide for my family. I then spent $2 on food. My husband is a casual laborer, and I sell charcoal, which barely amounts to $7 every three weeks, especially with my pregnancy limiting my ability to work. With education being a priority for us, I paid $22 on school fees for my four children, securing their access to learning. Lastly, I had to use $4 for transport after the loss of my aunt to attend the burial. GiveDirectly has given us hope for a better future, despite the challenges we faced earlier.

Looking ahead to the next year and beyond, my heart is set on renovating our house's roof. Built in 2004, the iron sheets have rusted, causing holes that let rainwater in, making our home damp. I'm saving some of my cash transfer funds through a self-help group, determined to gather what's needed for new iron sheets. After that, I want to continue growing our goat herd, currently standing at five. Goats have been more than just animals; they've been a lifeline, supporting my children's education when we sell them.

After my husband lost his job because of COVID-19, he had to come back to our village and take up casual construction work to provide for us. Balancing four kids in school was tough; the money he earned barely covered food and school fees. The cash transfers saved us – they lightened our load. Out of the last three transfers, I used $30 to pay for the kids' tuition. It wasn't enough, but at least they weren't forced out of school. They stayed in school throughout without interruptions. Another $40 went into buying them new uniforms and clothes since their old ones were beyond repair. I also managed to save $34 in a self-help group, dreaming of accumulating enough to fix our corroded roof.

I built my house about 14 years ago and it was a tin roofed house. This house has however worn out over time and the roof now leaks. I was planning on replacing the roof and if possible adding another room. The savings I have been making to my savings group whenever possible is aimed at sorting this out. I hope to have enough money in the end of the year to replace the roof.

I have four children in school who are all in primary school. It used to be a struggle taking care of their schooling but the transfer lessened the struggle. In the month of April we sent $10 to school for the school fees and a similar amount in June. I spent $20 in May preparing the land for planting and bought seeds worth $7 to be planted. I also spent the money on savings, in April I spent $14 in savings and a similar amount in June while in May I spent $5 on savings. I bought food worth $10 in April, $2 in May and $10 in June.

I have been living in an old house. Its roofing is made up of old iron and rusty sheets. For this year, my main goal is to repair my house roofing. I am, therefore, looking forward to saving some cash in the merry-go-round scheme to acquire new iron sheets by the end of the year. I am confident that if I accomplish that, it will look better and newer and last longer. It is currently unstable and vulnerable to collapse in the event of severe rain. I also aim to spend the rest of the transfers to pay off school fees for my four school-going children. I shall be a delighted mother to see them succeed in their academic pursuit.

I had a daughter who was to join a Pre-School, although I did not have sufficient money to cater to her needs. Upon receiving my recent transfer, I opted to spend $23 on paying her admission fee. I am always delighted to see her leaving home for school every morning. She is very positive and shares all things she learns in school with me daily. I spent the rest of the transfer, $11 to pay part of the school fee for my other three children. November and December 2022 transfers came in handy in buying two goats and acquiring food for my household.

GiveDirectly does well in that the enrollment was perfectly conducted without any discrimination at all. Every household was visited without being left out. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.

I spent $10 on paying school fees for my three children in primary school. They used to be sent home to collect the school fees and this was making them miss some of the lessons. Currently, they are now studying well without being disturbed. I spent $10 on purchasing food and other basic household items that we were missing at home. The remaining $10 I save in the merry-go-round group that we have started in our village. I wish to start goats rearing project when I get my savings from the group. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has enabled us to start a saving culture that was not there before.

I was getting ready for bed at 8.30pm, shortly after dinner, when I received a mobile money alert on my phone confirming the receipt of my first transfer from Give Directly.  I danced with excitement since this money would allow me to fulfill my ambition of raising goats again after the fire incident a year ago. There are no words to explain how grateful I am to Give Directly for keeping their promise to send the cash transfer.

After losing all of my goats in a fire tragedy 18 months ago, I was forced back to poverty. These animals, together with the chicken I now rear, would help supplement the KES 400 I earn per week from charcoal burning. My ambitions for raising animals had hardly been crushed when Give Directly sent me the cash transfers. The most significant difference that has occurred after receiving the money is the purchase of my first goat after a year of waiting.

In February 2021, a sack of charcoal that I intended to sell sparked a fire in my livestock shed, killing six of my goats and leaving one behind. Because my immediate source of money (charcoal) had also perished, I decided to sell the remaining goat the next morning to help pay for my children's school tuition. Due to a shortage of funds, replacing this herd has proved challenging since then.  The initial transfer provided an excellent opportunity for me to purchase my first goat in a year, for which I paid KES 2,700. I used the remainder of the money to buy food for my four children because it had run out the night before.